Greetings from Yellowstone National Park

In the 1950’s I grew up on a ranch just north of Colorado Springs, where the Air Force Academy is now located. Adjacent to our ranch was another large ranch owned by an elderly woman and her family. Our family was visiting them one day when the topic of conversation was national parks. The old lady told us about when she was a child her family visited Yellowstone National Park in the horse and wagon days. Her favorite memory was how they did their laundry. Rather than washing them in an ice cold stream, they decided to use one of the many hot spring pools. They found one that was perfect. It would periodically nearly empty and then fill back up several minutes later. They tossed their dirty laundry into the pool and waited while their clothes were pulled down and out of sight. When the pool started to bubble back up, they retrieved their wonderfully clean clothes using long sticks!

Sincerely,
Ken C.

Yellowstone National Park

America's first national park is named after the river that runs through it. Within the park's massive boundaries, visitors can find mountains, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and some of the most concentrated geothermal activity in the world. The park has 60% of the world’s geysers, as well as hot springs and mud pots. It is also home to diverse wildlife with the largest concentration of mammals in the Lower 48 states, including grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk.

State(s): Idaho Montana, Wyoming,

Established: 1872

“They give the best examples of the beauty and wonder of our country.”

National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!

{{ active ? "Cancel" : "Begin"}}

Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.

In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!

Here’s your unique story page link:

{{ storyUrl }}

* indicates Required fields

Click to choose a file to upload

Submitting your story means that you agree to our Terms of Service

More Stories

  • Greetings from Yellowstone National Park

    With a bottle of water in one hand and a camera in another, I joined the throngs of visitors in Yellowstone. On a recent trip to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, I was eager to capture the breathtaking beauty of the Park that I only saw in pictures. Descending the…

  • Greetings from Yellowstone National Park

    Looking past the neon orange “Watch Your Step” sign, I leaned against the flimsy, chipping wooden fence to get a closer look at the serene, steaming geyser lying a few feet away from where I stood. Just one day prior, my family and I had landed at the Yellowstone Regional…

  • Greetings from Yellowstone National Park

    I have been to Yellowstone at least six times over the years. I took my kids a couple times and now I’m getting ready to take my grandkids. The diversity and wander of Yellowstone is a fantastic learning experience.

Donate

Preserve Our Parks

Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.

Donate Now